Caregiving for a loved one can be profoundly rewarding, but anyone who has done this work knows that managing multiple responsibilities with limited time can be challenging.
In today’s digital age, caregivers can access many websites, apps, and books designed to educate, offer resources, and simplify their caregiving duties. While each offers unique features, they all share a common goal: to support caregivers in managing their responsibilities more effectively, providing peace of mind, and enhancing the quality of care for their loved ones. In this article, we highlight various free online, print, and digital resources available to caregivers today.
The information provided here is intended for informational purposes only. Please do your own research to ensure your privacy and security prior to using new apps or online resources.
Websites
The following websites offer tools, support, and information to manage the complex responsibilities that come with caregiving. They’re also a place to connect with other caregivers.
These websites are a good place to start if you are a caregiver who needs help, information, or connection with other caregivers.
CaringInfo features a page specifically for caregivers.
CaringInfo – A publication of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, CaringInfo offers resources and information for caregivers, including virtual support groups and caregiving tips.
Family Caregiver Alliance – Provides comprehensive support for caregivers, featuring tools like the Care Journey App for personalized caregiving support.
Car
egiver Action Network – A site dedicated to providing education and support to family caregivers, with resources to help manage caregiver challenges.
A Place for Mom – Assists families in finding senior care and housing options, offering personalized guidance and support.
A centralized hub for sharing with family and friends helps you, your loved one, those who wish to help, and those who don’t live close by to stay connected and offer support.
Apps
The CareZone app is designed to simplify caregivers’ lives. It helps manage health information by storing medical records, medication lists, and healthcare provider details. Caregivers can track appointments, set medication reminders, and organize tasks, ensuring that all aspects of a patient’s care are effectively coordinated. Additionally, CareZone provides a platform for sharing updates and communicating with family members, making it easier to keep everyone informed and involved in the care process.
The CaringBridge app offers a platform for caregivers to create personalized websites for patients, enabling easy communication and support coordination. It allows caregivers to update friends and family on a patient’s health journey through journal entries, photos, and videos. This centralized hub helps reduce the burden of repetitive updates and ensures that everyone stays informed. Additionally, CaringBridge facilitates emotional support by allowing loved ones to leave messages of encouragement, creating a virtual community that uplifts both the patient and caregiver during challenging times.
The Lotsa Helping Hands app assists caregivers by creating a centralized online community where friends, family, and volunteers can coordinate support and share tasks. Through a shared calendar, caregivers can post requests for help with daily activities such as meal preparation, transportation, and household chores. Members of the community can then sign up to fulfill these tasks, ensuring that the caregiver receives consistent support without the need to individually contact each helper. The app also provides a platform for sharing updates, offering emotional support, and organizing vital information, making it easier to manage caregiving responsibilities collaboratively and efficiently.
Essential Reading
These are our two must-haves for anyone caring for an aging loved one or anyone who knows they’ll care for an aging loved one in the future.
How to Care for Aging Parents: A One-Stop Resource for All Your Medical, Financial, Housing, and Emotional Issues, by Virginia Morris
Virginia Morris’s website offers a free downloadable Caregiver’s Organizer and two free chapters of her comprehensive guide.
Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, by Atul Gawande, MD
While each resource presented in this article aims to empower caregivers, they are all unique in their own way. We encourage you to try them out and find those that fit your needs.
The information provided here is intended for informational purposes only. Please do your own research to ensure your privacy and security prior to using new apps or online resources.
Hospice Care Plus was founded as a non-profit organization to support the quality of life of its communities through hospice, palliative, and grief care programs. The organization serves Estill, Jackson, Lee, Madison, Owsley, and Rockcastle counties and owns and operates the Compassionate Care Center in Richmond. Relying on contributions from individuals and groups, all care is provided regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Make a gift, explore career and volunteer opportunities, or call 859-986-1500 to learn more.
Hospice Care Plus empowers those we serve to enjoy the highest quality of life, respecting their values, beliefs, needs, and goals through specialized care, education, resources, and grief support.
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Our Home Hospice and Home Palliative Care programs serve you, wherever you call home, in the Kentucky counties of Estill, Jackson, Lee, Madison, Owsley, and Rockcastle.
Our inpatient care facility, the Compassionate Care Center, and administrative offices are located in Richmond, Kentucky.
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